The Day of the Great Racing Straw Hats…
by chipmunkwithwings
Summary: The men of the Straw Hat crew spend an afternoon on a small town island. Set before Water 7, this is a two shot about the fun day they have. Story is better than the summary sounds. Based on something from one of the starting songs.
1. Chapter 1

The day of the Great Racing Straw Hats…

 **... ... ...**

It was originally a trip for the guys on the crew to get along, no women around, and just enjoy the sunny afternoon without getting in trouble for once.

The rubber pirate had found a bike shop and begged Sanji to rent one for him to ride, quickly zooming around the town in glee. After a couple of hours though, his hunger returned and Zoro was able to take a break from running after the boy in an effort to keep him out of trouble. The green-haired first mate was carrying a certain straw hat, blown off of Luffy's head from the wind while riding the bike.

The blond cook had found a nice café with outside seating and was sitting with Usopp and Chopper when the others joined them. The crew was sitting around a table together, with pastries and finished hot and cold drinks littering the surface, when Chopper noticed a woman going past in a large cart pulled by horses, and shouted out, "Hey! That looks like fun! Usopp! Let's go find one for us to race in!" Grinning like the kid he was, he bounced around on the table.

"Race?" Luffy grinned, "Let's go! Let's race!" The trio jumped up and immediately begged the lady to tell them where the contraption was bought.

Sanji was enjoying the coffee he bought from the cute barista, so he slowly followed the others, walking calmly with the cup in one hand and an unlit cigarette in the other, ready to light when he finished the caffeinated drink. "Oi Luffy, I hope you're being nice to that wonderful mάdemoiselle over there." He looked up only to see a handsome gentleman frowning at Luffy, who was currently attempting to ride one of the horses. _I should've known this would happen._ Lifting up one leg, Sanji deftly kicked his captain off to the side without hitting the horse. He turned back and, ignoring the whining session behind him, apologised and politely asked the couple where they could find a cart and horses.

"If you go to Jolly Molly's down those streets there, she can give you better directions. And perhaps learn to control your brother better, sir?" the man suggested in a posh voice, still frowning over Sanji's shoulder at his 'brother', causing the crew to laugh at the expense of the embarrassed duo. With a light _crack_ and a rattle of wooden wheels on cobblestones, the cart carrying the couple was off down the street and gone. Left behind to splutter and complain, Sanji gave Luffy another kick-lighter this time-out of frustration.

"Well, _brothers_ , shall we go to this 'Jolly Molly's' and find us a cart?" Zoro asked innocently, smirking as he prodded the new sore spot of his rival. He began walking in the opposite direction to where the man had pointed. Usopp walked after him and grabbed his shirt, attempting to drag him in the right direction. "Oh, right." Zoro spun around and walked with the group for a few meters before taking a sharp right turn into another cafe.

… … … … …

Having gotten the best directions from Jolly Molly's and dragged Zoro around with them, they went off in search of their goal, while looking at the small port town as they walked. The island they had landed on bore a resemblance to Nami's home town of Cocoyashi Village, but had a small Marine outpost on the other side of a dark forest.

Finally the group found it: _**Welcome! To Mark's Horses and Carts!**_ The boldly colored sign hung from a pair of rusted bars above the shop door, looking like it needed a fresh coat of paint.

"What's with the names of the shops on this island?" Zoro wondered aloud, wandering inside with the others.

"HELLO THERE! HOW CAN I HELP YOU TODAY?" A loud and very cheerful voice shouted from the front counter, not five meters away. The name tag sewn into his shirt indicated that this was Mark, owner of the store; the large fellow had to stoop to keep his head from touching the ceiling.

"H-hello, we are visiting this island and we want to rent a cart and some horses?" Usopp asked nervously, standing as tall as he could. The shopkeeper gave him an odd look, but asked for money anyway. The sniper handed the correct sum over while still on his tip-toes, feeling tiny compared to the man. Mark shut the register with a ding and gestured to the group to follow.

Going under a high door, Usopp looked up to see that the back was built like an old-fashioned barn, with light wood panelling and a dirt floor. Standing in their stalls were five horses, and Mark calmly strode over to a large pair of white stallions, talking back over his shoulder. "Bobby and Stuart haven't been out for a while, so these will be the horses taking you around town. Be careful, they like to run if they can-"

"Ah, that won't be a problem, Mark-san," Sanji interrupted, still standing by the door and avoiding the straw-strewn ground while he finished his cigarette. Thanking the shopkeeper, the smoker lied through his teeth and told him, "We will be mindful of speed."

Waiting just long enough to learn the do's-and-dont's of cart horses, Sanji jumped inside and picked up the reins,walking the pale green cart out of the double barn doors and onto the now busy-looking street. He scoffed quietly at the extravagant (read: tacky) black feathers attached to the front before he noticed someone running alongside the cart.

Usopp grinned, easily keeping up as he asked the blond if they still had the bike, the gears and cogs spinning in his mind as he started to concoct a plan…

… … … … …

 **AN: i will be posting the next chapter in a couple days, as it only needs a grammar check.**

 **Hit that 'Review' button and tell me what you all thought!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: not mine, belongs to the wonderful Eiichiro Oda**

 **Part 2:**

… … …

"Ready? Set? GO!" Chopper yelled, standing on a tall pair of shoulders and gripping moss-coloured hair for balance. In front of them, the horses took off and a red bike followed, straining to catch up.

Standing beside Zoro, Usopp enjoyed the role of commentator, announcing "Luffy is in the lead, but Sanji is catching up fast! Who will win this exciting race?"

Luffy's cart suddenly sped up, the straw hat swinging on its string in the wind. Grunting, Sanji pushed his legs harder, determined to win. The bike slowly caught up, front wheel matching up to the horses, who were glaring at each other, whinnying as though arguing about who was faster.

Zoro Smiled, the thrilling atmosphere going well with the booze he was drinking, calling out good naturedly "Luffy! Beat the shit cook!" He lifted the hand not holding the bottle and steadied Chopper who was now jumping from excitement.

"Oh, and Sanji has passed the horses and it looks like he's about to win." Usopp hooted, his arms pumping the air, his black curly hair bouncing on his neck. "They're neck and neck… and the winner is… SANJI." Both the sniper and the small doctor were going nuts cheering for their nakama.

Said cook stopped peddling, turning the handle bars and letting the speed he had worked up bring him back to the others, panting with a large grin on his face, his legs twitching imperceptibly. Luffy eased the horses to a stop and walked them back, smiling despite his loss and thanking the speedy runners for their efforts.

The Straw Hats had found an old, barely used street, its width perfect for a pair of horses and carts. There were a couple of pot-holes, which they had filled in with dirt and Sanji had stamped down, and Zoro had cleared away the bushes at the end where the street dwindled into a dirt path. This end, where broken cobblestone gave way to scuffed dirt, was the decided finish line – whoever crossed it first was the winner of that round. Ties were broken by a game of paper-scissors-rock.

So far the people who had won were–with little surprise–Luffy, Sanji and Zoro, all on the bike. It's not that the horses were slow, but that the monster trio was…well monsters. Luffy's win against Usopp had shown that the horses couldn't pull all of them in the cart at the same time, so they moved to the abandoned street and stood by the railing while two people raced.

Standing up and wheeling the bike the last few feet, Sanji had finally gotten his breath back. Still grinning, he asked their 'commentator' who was next.

"Oh uh… Chopper and Zoro haven't raced against each other yet." Turning to look at the two, the reindeer hybrid still perched on Zoro's shoulders, Usopp was about to ask who would use what when Chopper interrupted him.

"I want to race against Bobby," Chopper said, jumping down and moving to stand by the horse, shifting into heavy point and resting a gentle hand on Bobby's neck. "Zoro can ride Bobby, but I want to race in Walk Point." His voice was steady and his expression showed his determination; the others smiled, proud to see how his time with the crew had made him braver.

"Ok, Chopper. I'm in," Zoro spoke up. The challenge Chopper had posed was a new thrill. He ignored the brief moment of confusion from the others, a hint of brotherly affection hidden in his smirk. He moved to join Chopper and together, they took the big harness off the two horses, letting Stuart take a break from the weight of the cart for the duration of this race.

Using what already was on Bobby's head as a bridle and wrapping the excess rope around his hands, Zoro had to ride bareback on Bobby as he guided him over to the starting line. He huffed and shoved another tacky black feather out of his face, the snap coming from the top of the bridle telling him it was unlikely he could fix it. He blushed and threw it over the railing, paying great attention to their doctor as he said "Walk Point" shifting into his full reindeer form, chuffing and pawing at the ground with a fore-hoof.

Lining up, Zoro glanced down at the kid, and then at the finish line. _I can win this. Chopper might be fast, but he's racing against me and Bobby._ The reason Chopper picked the horse he did instead of Stuart, Zoro could tell, was because out of the two, Bobby had shown that he _was_ faster than the other. Always eager to race a little longer, he had the stamina of a racehorse and was obviously excited to join in with the Straw Hats and their games.

Sanji snickered behind them, mumbling something under his breath that Zoro just knew was about him. " _What was that?_ " he asked dangerously, hoping the threat would have some effect.

Usopp gave a slight squeak but Sanji–of course– didn't bat an eye, at least, not that he could see. "Oh, i was just wondering if you even know how to ride a horse."

"Actually… I was thinking that myself." Pretending not to notice a glare sent his way by the swordsman, he asked himself aloud. "Where would Zoro have even ridden horses?"

"For your prying information, I visited a lot of islands before I met Luffy." He didn't elaborate, praying that was enough to satisfy them. Zoro squared his shoulders and fumed, asking if they could just start the race already.

"Yeah yeah," Usopp waved off Zoro's anger, since it wasn't directed at him, "Ok, Chopper: ready?

"Yes." Head down, the brim of his pink top hat shadowing/almost hiding his eyes, Chopper pawed the ground again in anticipation/impatience.

"Zoro: ready?"

"Yes." At some point Zoro's black scarf had been tied onto his head, hiding his hair and shadowing his eyes too.

Waiting a moment to let the suspense rise, Usopp dropped his risen hand, shouting "GO!" at the same time. Bobby and Chopper shot off the line, dust kicked up from the clattering hooves, the boys coughing and waving their hands in front of their faces to dispel the dust cloud. " _Cough_ and they're- _cough_ off, what a start!" Usopp tried speaking, waving away the leftover particles floating and spinning in the air currents, catching the light.

Already several yards away, were two speeding equine forms. Bobby showing a lot more speed now that he wasn't hooked up to the cart, Zoro struggling to stay on without stirrups or a saddle to help him. But right beside them was Chopper, legs powering away as he kept pace with his competitors.

With a small grin, the furry doctor easily piled on more speed, pulling ahead and not slowing down, antlers aimed at the finish that was quickly approaching. Zoro couldn't help but watch as the victory easily went to Chopper, shaking his head at muttering to himself, _of course he's faster. He's a Straw Hat Pirate._ Zoro smiled, happy for his friend and slowed Bobby down, apologizing to the stallion for not finishing the race. Moving the reins, the green-haired swordsman turned Bobby back to where his friends were waiting.

Chopper joined him a few moments later, panting but with the biggest grin Zoro had ever seen him wear. "Did you see that? I didn't realize I was that _fast_. And I won! I beat you Zoro!" He rambled, trotting quite happily beside Bobby, voice full of joy.

When they reached the rest of the crew they could hear to sounds of Luffy begging for food "-anjiiiii. Fooodddd. Hungry"

"Yes yes. I'm actually feeling hungry too." he admitted, new cigarette in hand and smoke puffed out his mouth. "Let's return the things we rented and go back to the ship.

… … …

Back on board the Merry, the full straw hat crew listened as they ate outside, the gentle twilight air perfect for an on-deck meal. Regaled by the tales of the races Usopp was telling, cup held in one hand as he gestured around with the drink inside sloshing out in the particularly wider movements, the sniper standing on the upper deck, light spilling out the kitchen door to illuminate him in a stunning halo.

Resting against the white wooden railing, Zoro enjoyed another bottle of booze, one eye open to watch the crew, swords lying parallel to his stretched out legs. He occasionally had to correct the exaggerations he heard during the recount of their day, looking up to see the stars coming out in the darkening sky.

With a yawn, the green-haired swordsman let his open eye slip closed and dozed off, feeling more content then he had in a while, Chopper and Luffy soon joining him in a sleepy pile on the deck. Curled up around the rails near the kitchen, Usopp was snoring too. On the deck, laid out around the picnic blanket holding the finished meal were a softly dreaming Robin and Nami, Sanji nearby with a warm smile on his face.

"Goodnight everyone" the Merry whispered to her crew, sailing towards their next destination.

… … … … …

 **AN: There was an angst ending to this, but i felt like our favourite pirates deserved some fluff for once :)**

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